Brewer's Den Uwes Hop Glow Triple IPA
Sun Up Brewing Co.

 

Thanks to FlacoAlto for sending this one my way!

Poured a medium amber color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of floral, citrus, some tropical fruits, and lighter caramel. Tastes of citrus (sweet oranges followed by bitter grapefruit), floral, and caramel. On the sweeter side.

Wow, 11%+; I never would have guessed!

Notes from: 9/10/08

Served in a brandy snifter with a creamy tan colored head that has more lasting power than the other beers I have had tonight. I can smell the hops even though the beer is sitting about a foot and a half from me. The beer is a brilliantly clear, reddish amber color. The aroma has lots of fruity hop derived aromatic notes; I get notes of apricots, lychee, ruby-red grapefruit, hints of tropical fruit and a sweet orange nectar note mixed with some honey aromatics.

Wow, this beer is so smooth and drinkable. A creamy mouthfeel that just slides down the throat. A malt sweetness and fruity hop notes combine and stick to the mouth until the very end of a sip, where the bitterness starts to really take hold. The bitterness, while ample, is not match for the creamy sweet malt and the massive, yet smooth, hop fruitiness that is found up front. The flavors in this beer are dominated by a soft, yet powerful, fruitiness that reminds me of apricots, lychees and tropical fruit.

While drinkable, this beer is a contemplative brew. Meaning that it is a beast and demands to be sipped and slowly savored. Honey-like sweet malt notes stick to the palate, effectively amplifying the fruity hop character. Did I mention that there was a fruity hop character here. This beer just drips with it and the mix of hops used provides such a smooth fruitiness that is note bogged down by the harsher, astringent hop notes of pine and sharply herbal notes that can be found in many over-hopped brews. This is certainly exquisite, lets hope that Uwe will make this a regular brew. What is so striking about this beer, is that it is so smooth and drinkable despite the hop levels and alcohol content. Highly recommended brew!